Vibrant Response exercise critical training for saving lives

By Staff Sgt. Keith AndersonAugust 3, 2012

1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –Marine Corps Sgt. John Brooks, rescue extraction specialist with the Marine Corps' Chemical, Biological Incident Response Force, monitors a radio report of incoming "injured" civilians to the CBIRF's mass decontamination and medical triage point, July 29, 2012, at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., during Vibrant Response 13, a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North. Brooks assisted with extraction and helped the medical teams with non-ambulatory patients. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Keith Anderson, Army North PAO)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –Luis Barrera, displaced civilian coordinator and Army North contractor, monitors the civilian role-players for a mass decontamination point, at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., during Vibrant Response 13, a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North. The U.S. Marine Corps Chemical, Biological Incident Response Force set up the mass decontamination and medical triage point and utilized technical rescue to retrieve "injured" civilians from a partially-collapsed multi-story building. They performed search and extraction from multiple buildings over a hot-zone of more than five acres and brought the "victims," many on sleds, to the point. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Keith Anderson, Army North PAO)VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –From his "hot-zone control point," U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jordan Doane reports on the number of ambulatory and non-ambulatory civilians that have been decontaminated and triaged, July 29, 2012, at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., during Vibrant Response 13, a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North. Doane is a member of the Marine Corps Chemical, Biological Incident Response Force, headquartered in Indian Head, Md. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Keith Anderson, Army North PAO)VIEW ORIGINAL

MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, Ind. (Aug. 3, 2012) -- On a busy second-day of training missions, the U.S. Marine Corps Chemical, Biological Incident Response Force, or CBRIF, continued to search for displaced and trapped civilians in need of decontamination and medical care, July 29, as part of Vibrant Response 13, a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.

The exercise challenged the seasoned Marine Corps' force -- as well as Army North's Exercise Control Forward.

"The CBIRF's decontamination and medical triage processes are very efficient," said Lt. Col. Mark Quenga, EXCON FWD chief of operations, Army North. "We instituted additional measures, including providing additional displaced civilians in challenging scenarios, to ensure that the mission sets push the Marines and Navy Corpsmen to the limit of their capabilities."

The Marines employed technical rescue to retrieve "injured" civilians from a partially collapsed multi-story building, as well as search and extraction from multiple buildings over a hot-zone of more than five acres, to get the "victims," many on sleds, to the decontamination and medical triage point and to medical evacuation.

Participating in Vibrant Response with Army North is critical to the CBIRF mission, said Marine Corps Master Sgt. Patrick Lavender, lead observer/controller, CBIRF.

"This is what they train to do," said Lavender. "Every exercise brings up areas we can improve. As an active-duty force, one third of our force rotates out every year so you have some who are doing this for the third time and some who are doing this for the first time."

The medical training is also very important for the Navy hospital corpsmen that serve on the Marine CBIRF.

"As corpsmen, we are not afforded the option of making mistakes," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Harley Meyer. "That's why exercises like Army North's Vibrant Response are critical."

Some of the civilian role-players went through the decontamination showers more than once to increase the numbers of civilians needing care from the CBIRF, said Luis Barrera, displaced civilian coordinator and Army North contractor. Despite the weather conditions, he said they enjoyed their part in the training session.

"It's pretty hot out here today," Barrera said. "The showers are a good way to cool down."